NHTSA Complaint #10145925 — 2004 FORD EXPLORER

2004 FORD EXPLORER. IN DECEMBER OF 2004, THE TRUCK WAS 1 YEAR IN SERVICE AND HAD ABOUT 19,000 MILES. WE NOTICED THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPING BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND GEARS AND DELAYING WHEN SHIFTING BETWEEN PARK AND REVERSE. WE TOOK THE TRUCK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND HAD PROBLEM FIXED. WE WERE TOLD THE "SOLENOID" (SP?) SWITCH IN THE TRANSMISSION WAS BAD AND HAD BEEN REPLACED. WE WERE TOLD AT THE TIME THIS WAS A FAIRLY COMMON PROBLEM. BEGINNING AGAIN IN EARLY DECEMBER OF THIS YEAR, THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN THE SAME PATTERN OF SLIPPING. THE TRUCK WAS NOW IN SERVICE FOR 2 YEARS, BUT HAD 40,000 MILES. THE TRUCK WAS NOW OUT OF WARRANTY AND THE NEW "SOLENOID" SWITCH IN THE TRANSMISSION WAS NOW OUT OF WARRANTY. WE TOOK THE TRUCK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WERE TOLD IT WAS THE SAME PROBLEM AS LAST TIME. THE DEALERSHIP WOULD NOT OFFER ANYTHING OFF OF THE REPAIR CHARGE SO WE CALLED FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE. WE WERE TOLD WE SHOULD HAVE HAD ALL OF OUR REGULAR MAINTENANCE DONE AT THE DEALERSHIP AND THIS PROBLEM WOULD HAVE BEEN CAUGHT SOONER. NEXT WE WERE TOLD THAT FORD WAS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM, BUT NOT ENOUGH HAD FAILED YET SO THERE WAS NO RECALL. THE SERVICE REP OFFERED TO PAY FOR $400 OF THE REPAIR SINCE WE HAD REPLACED THIS PART ONCE AND TOLD US THAT WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FORD PAID FOR ANYTHING SINCE THE TRUCK IS OUT OF WARRANTY. I AM GRATEFUL FORD PAID FOR PART OF THE REPAIR, BUT I FEEL STRONGLY A TRANSMISSION SHOULD NOT NEED TO BE REPAIRED TWICE IN ONE YEAR FOR THE SAME PART. *JB